Sbraccia (Tor Vergata): “New weight loss therapy against obesity”

“Obesity has for too long been thought of as a simple nutritional disorder. In fact it is a very serious disease, as well as an important risk factor for major chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cancer and a whole range of osteoarthritis. therefore treated as early as possible. Up to now we have not had many tools, however new drugs of extreme interest are appearing, such as the therapy with semaglutide that makes you lose weight and improves the quality of life of patients, as confirmed by the Step 1 study presented at the recently concluded European Congress on Obesity 2021 (Eco2021) “. This was stated to Adnkronos Salute Paolo Sbraccia, director of Internal Medicine and Obesity Medical Center of the Tor Vergata Polyclinic in Rome. Overweight and obesity concern 25 million Italians, 46.1% of the adult population, according to the annual analysis carried out by Istat for the Italian Obesity Barometer Report. The report shows how women show a lower obesity rate (9.4%) than men (11.8%) and how the phenomenon of excess weight is a widespread problem especially in the South and in the Islands. “During Eco2021 – explains Sbraccia – the results of the so-called Step 1 program were presented and discussed. These are the data of the use of a new drug, of an innovative dosage of a therapy recently used in diabetic patients, semuglutide a 2 , 4 mg once a week, which reduces appetite and increases satiety. The results showed weight loss rates close to 20%. This is data that approaches gastric band, a surgical procedure, so it leaves well hope for highly effective use in patients with obesity. “In addition to allowing significant weight loss, according to the data brought to Eco2021, active treatment was associated with greater improvements than placebo in all quality scores of life related to weight and health. “Those who took semaglutide improved well-being, understood as having more energy, and increased self-confidence,” confirms Sbraccia. 43.8% – the study reads – achieved a clinically significant improvement in the weight-related quality of life score. In addition, more than half (51.2%) of the semaglutide group increased their weight-related physical function score, which indicates improvements in the ability to perform daily physical activities such as tying shoes and walking. “Semaglutide is a latest generation Glp-1 receptor agonist drug – concludes Sbraccia – It helps to lose weight by reducing hunger and increasing the feeling of satiety: in this way people eat less”. The drug, not yet available in Italy, is currently undergoing regulatory review in several countries, including the United States FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).